I used to like Yamamotoyama Genmaicha.. even so they say its grown in america ?? I dont know if its true, but its the only genmaicha i like, i tried several 3 times more expensive teas like kusmi genmaicha, genmaicha from tea shops and i didnt like them at all. It has been several years so maybe now my taste is more sophisticated but back then i really like Yamamotoyama Genmaicha more then all other Genmaicha teas.

A note on Genmaicha... It seems a lot of more American market vendors are making genmaicha with "finer" leaves with the intention that it should be brewed at around 175F. More traditional genmaicha are made with "coarser" leaves and brewed at around 212F. This also probably explains a lot of the price difference between Ocha and Mellow monk on one hand and Maiko, Yamamotoyama and Ippodo on the other. I'm not sure where Sugimoto fits in.